The bloc, however, avoided agreeing to an EU-wide visa ban demanded by Ukraine and several other member states. The EU was too divided to agree at this stage on a blanket ban and also left unclear what unilateral measures could be taken by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, which share land borders with Russia. to restrict access to Russian visitors. Those five countries welcomed the suspension of Russia’s visa facilitation agreement as a step in the right direction, but four of them stressed that more needs to be done to “drastically” limit the number of visas issued to Russians as well traveling to the bloc since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky (R) and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (L) give a press conference after an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) on August 31, 2022 in Prague Czech Republic [Michal Cizek/AFP] “Until such EU-level measures come into force, we will consider introducing at national level temporary visa ban or border crossing restrictions for Russian citizens holding EU visas in order to address imminent public security issues,” Lithuania, Estonia and Poland said in a joint statement. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow would not let the move stand “without consequences,” according to the RIA news agency. “If Brussels decides to shoot itself in the foot again, that’s their choice,” he said. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said the EU’s executive committee would indeed consider ways to go further, including what might be done with what Lipavsky said were some 12 million Schengen visas already issued for Russians – referring to the zone of the 26 open border countries.

“Security risk”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argued that suspending the visa facilitation agreement would already have a real impact in itself. “This will significantly reduce the number of new visas issued by EU member states. It will be more difficult. it will take longer,” he told a news conference at the end of a two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague. Borel said a significant increase in border crossings from Russia to neighboring states since mid-July necessitated the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement. “This has become a security risk for these neighboring states,” he added. “In addition, we have seen many Russians traveling for leisure and shopping as if there was no war raging in Ukraine.” More than a million Russian citizens have entered the bloc through land border crossings since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, most of them through Finland and Estonia, the bloc’s border agency Frontex said. Ukraine has repeatedly said that ordinary Russians must also pay for the invasion, which has killed thousands of civilians, according to the United Nations, and leveled cities. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier on Wednesday repeated calls for an EU visa ban, saying it would be “an appropriate response to Russia’s aggressive genocidal war in the heart of Europe which is supported by the vast majority of Russian citizens”. But France and Germany disagreed. “We caution against extensive restrictions on our visa policy to avoid feeding the Russian narrative and causing unintended contractions around the effects of the flag and/or alienating future generations,” they said in a joint statement.

title: “Eu Tightens Travel Rules For Russians But Does Not Issue Full Visa Ban News About The Russia Ukraine War Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-28” author: “Brandon Williams”

The bloc, however, avoided agreeing to an EU-wide visa ban demanded by Ukraine and several other member states. The EU was too divided to agree at this stage on a blanket ban and also left unclear what unilateral measures could be taken by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, which share land borders with Russia. to restrict access to Russian visitors. Those five countries welcomed the suspension of Russia’s visa facilitation agreement as a step in the right direction, but four of them stressed that more needs to be done to “drastically” limit the number of visas issued to Russians as well traveling to the bloc since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky (R) and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (L) give a press conference after an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) on August 31, 2022 in Prague Czech Republic [Michal Cizek/AFP] “Until such EU-level measures come into force, we will consider introducing at national level temporary visa ban or border crossing restrictions for Russian citizens holding EU visas in order to address imminent public security issues,” Lithuania, Estonia and Poland said in a joint statement. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow would not let the move stand “without consequences,” according to the RIA news agency. “If Brussels decides to shoot itself in the foot again, that’s their choice,” he said. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said the EU’s executive committee would indeed consider ways to go further, including what might be done with what Lipavsky said were some 12 million Schengen visas already issued for Russians – referring to the zone of the 26 open border countries.

“Security risk”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argued that suspending the visa facilitation agreement would already have a real impact in itself. “This will significantly reduce the number of new visas issued by EU member states. It will be more difficult. it will take longer,” he told a news conference at the end of a two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague. Borel said a significant increase in border crossings from Russia to neighboring states since mid-July necessitated the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement. “This has become a security risk for these neighboring states,” he added. “In addition, we have seen many Russians traveling for leisure and shopping as if there was no war raging in Ukraine.” More than a million Russian citizens have entered the bloc through land border crossings since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, most of them through Finland and Estonia, the bloc’s border agency Frontex said. Ukraine has repeatedly said that ordinary Russians must also pay for the invasion, which has killed thousands of civilians, according to the United Nations, and leveled cities. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier on Wednesday repeated calls for an EU visa ban, saying it would be “an appropriate response to Russia’s aggressive genocidal war in the heart of Europe which is supported by the vast majority of Russian citizens”. But France and Germany disagreed. “We caution against extensive restrictions on our visa policy to avoid feeding the Russian narrative and causing unintended contractions around the effects of the flag and/or alienating future generations,” they said in a joint statement.